ILLUSTRATION AND VISUAL NARRATIVE / TASK 1 : EXERCISES

27.09.2023 - 20.10.2023

Graciella Limpah / 0364517 

Illustration and Visual Narrative / Bachelor of Design (Honours) in Creative Media / Taylors University

Task 1

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LECTURES

Character Design

Making character appealing :

1. Iconic (Making silhouettes) : Can immediately recognize them even in black silhouettes.

2. Simplicity (Think purpose) : Simplicity of the design allows viewers to digest and understand the purpose of the character easily.

3. Unique (Think memorable) : Not only memorable, but make impact on the viewer.

Principle of Character Design

1. Shapes

• Silhouette : Identify a character from one another
• Iconic : Explore possibilities combining different shapes
• Add weight to personality : Use character persona as the basic of the shape for your design

2. Colour

• Establish basic roles of the character : Colors is important in determining and separate the basic characteristic.
• Think color psychology : Different colors give impressions of different emotions.

3. Emphasis and Contrast

• Exaggerate to memorate : Making character stands out with colors and shapes.

4. Harmony

• Every element need to compliment each other : How it reflects with the narrative of the characters.

5. Expressions and Poses

• Expressive emotive characters, win the audience : Clear visualization of your character behaviors, quirks and personalities make it easier to appeal viewers.

Chiaroscuro

The use of light and dark to create the illusion of three-dimensional volume on a flat surface.

• In paintings, the technique refers to clear tonal contrast to suggest three-dimensional volume and modeling of objects and figures.
• The purpose of chiaroscuro is to increase the scene's dramatic tension by exargeratting the subject's importance using color or light contrast.
• In other application of chiaroscuro for visual artworks such as comic, film, digital works - focus point or subject of a scene is brightly colored or contrast with dark background. 

Chiaroscuro is used in visual narrative because this method is an excellent lightning choice to differentiate positive and negative spaces.

• Positive refers to subject matter / object of interest in visual
• Negative refers to the filled space / background

Chiaroscuro is also used in visual narrative because :

• Increase dramatic tension
• Create sensational effect
• Attract attention
• Make tasteful composition

Class Summary

Week 1 :

• Mr Hafiz asked us to join google classroom and tell us the overview of what we will do in 1 semester.
• After that, he asked us to do the bezier game so we know how to use the pen tool later on at the illustrator app.

Week 2 :

• Mr Hafiz showed us a video of how he traced elements on illustrator app, and later on, he asked us to try it ourselves.
• Introduction to pen tool and curvature tool.

Week 3 :

• Mr Hafiz show us tutorial of how to use pencil tool, pathfinder, as well as knife tool.
• Learning shadows and color.

Week 4 :

• Learning about blending mode.
• Knowing how to add texture, make compound mask.

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INSTRUCTION

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TUTORIAL AND PRACTICAL

Week 1

Bezier Game result 

fig 1.1 Bezier Game

After trying many times, finally I get to finish this stage at 9 nodes.

Week 2

Tracing shapes using pen tool and curvature tool

Pen tool : Makes straight path and some curve path if we click and drag it.

Curvature tool : Makes curve paths

Tracing vormator shape using pen tool

fig 2.1 Vormator shape

fig 2.2 Vormator shape tracing

Vormator Challenge 

We are asked to design a character with the 8 shapes given.

figure 2.3 Vormator Challenge example

For practice, I came out with this character.

figure 2.4 Practice

After that, I try to make a more complex character. It has a devil ear, wings, and it most powerful tail, as long as a charm that I make with a tear drop shape.

figure 2.5 Character Shape

After that, I try to color it.

figure 2.6 Character with colors

Then, I change the color into gradient, add texture on the wings as well as making flower shape to the background, and this is my final character design. My character is an animal, with speciality in its tail. It also have devil ears and teeth to make her look like a monster. Moreover, I added a special charm on her body, as well as wings to complete my character.

Final Character Design

figure 2.7 Final Character Design [31/10/2023]

figure 2.8 Pokemon card [31/10/2023]

Week 3

Light and Black

Pathfinder, pencil tool and knife tool

Making a pear to look more real using these tools.

fig 3.1 Light and Black

Week 4 :

Chiaroscuro Exercises

We are asked to make light and black to the people in the right, as well as learning how to put texture on it.

figure 4.1 Chiaroscuro people

And I came out with this result :

figure 4.2 Texture

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REFLECTION

Experience

Throughout this module, I learn a lot. First of all, I know all the illustrator basic, such as pen tool, pencil tool, knife tool, etc. Moreover, I also learn how to make shadows, adding texture to a picture, and gradient tool.

Observations

Every week, Mr Hafiz always provides us with a video tutorial for us to follow to. Although it is an online class, every instruction Mr Hafiz gave is very easy to understand.

Findings

I found that Mr Hafiz always show us step to step tutorial, but if you need physical help, Mr Hafiz will arrange the time to meet. I also found out that this class really boost my creativity by designing character.